Chrysler Fallout

October 30, 2006|By Bruce Berlet

The Chrysler Championship, the PGA Tour's final full-field event, didn't have Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson, but it had plenty to do with who can play where next week and in 2007. Courant golf writer Bruce Berlet looks at some of the eleventh-hour moves Sunday:

Shot At The Claret Jug

Rod Pampling went from 21st to the top 20 on the money list (17th), bumping Lucas Glover from the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie Golf Club in Scotland.

Big Move For Choi, Olazabal Drops

K.C. Choi not only won his second Chrysler Championship, he jumped from 68th to the top 30 (26th) to earn a spot in this week's Tour Championship at East Lake GC in Atlanta and the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in suburban Pittsburgh. Choi bumped Jose Maria Olazabal, who started the week 26th but didn't play. Olazabal was also passed by Joe Durant, Ernie Els, Tom Pernice Jr. and Fairfield native J.J. Henry, who fell from 27th to 28th ($2,138,330) but still got in his first Tour Championship. Henry also will go to his first season-opening Mercedes Championship in Hawaii in January for winning the Buick Championship and will play in his first Masters in April. ``I was money board-watching for a few weeks, but it really has been a career year,'' said Henry, who played in his first Ryder Cup in September and will play the Shark Shootout, hosted by Greg Norman, in two weeks with 2005 Buick Championship winner Brad Faxon.

Kelly Qualifies For Masters

Henry's competition at Augusta National will include University of Hartford graduate Jerry Kelly (39th, $1,737,800) and Troy Matteson, who, with Choi, bumped Nathan Green and Tom Lehman from the top 40.

Goydos Exempt

Besides Choi, the biggest winner Sunday was Paul Goydos, whose tie for second was worth $466,400, the largest check of his career, and vaulted him from 160th into the top 125 (97th) and exempt status in 2007. Goydos and Mark Calcavecchia bumped Rich Beem and Bubba Dickerson, but Calcavecchia and Beem were exempt next year because of victories in the 2005 Canadian Open and 2002 PGA Championship. Dickerson, whose best finish in his rookie season was a tie for fifth in the Buick Championship, was 125th entering the week but didn't get in the Chrysler Championship.

Gamez, Bjornstad Bumped

Goydos and Tag Ridings bumped Robert Gamez and Henrik Bjornstad from the top 150. Those who finish 126-150 have conditional status in 2007. But Gamez is exempt next year because of his victory in the 2005 Valero Texas Open. Hartford grad Tim Petrovic also finished in that group (132nd, $601,928) but is exempt since he won the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Many players in this category will go to the tour qualifying school to try to improve their status.

Q-School For Sheehan, Driscoll, Williamson

Those outside the top 150 and headed to tour school include UHart's Patrick Sheehan (165th, $386,797), Taft-Watertown's James Driscoll (187th, $219,904) and Trinity's Jay Williamson (221st, $86,150), who spent the last few months on the Nationwide Tour. John Daly, winner of two major championships and one of the tour's biggest draws, finished 193rd but isn't going back to qualifying school and will be looking for sponsors' exemptions. He shouldn't have trouble getting them.